title: Reflections on the theory-practice gap in cognitive behavior therapy.
abstract: The papers in this special series, edited by Pilecki and McKay (2013--this issue), are devoted to examining the theory-practice gap in cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT). A gap between theory and practice can occur at more than one level. First, there exists a substantial and concerning gap between the theories and interventions supported by research and those being offered to patients in the community (i.e., research-practice gap). There is also a growing concern in the field that the techniques and procedures that characterize cognitive-behavioral therapies are becoming increasingly divorced from underlying theories (i.e., theory-procedure gap). In the present commentary we hope to summarize and comment on some of the themes, issues, and future directions raised by our contributors.
authors.affiliation: Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Electronic address: hreese@partners.org.
authors.forename: Hannah E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Reese
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rosenfield
authors.forename: Sabine
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilhelm
mesh_terms: D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012106:Research
keywords: cognitive behavioral therapy; dissemination; practice; theory